Lisa Ashford

Director, Lendahand Ethex - Energise Africa

Lisa is Director of Lendahand Ethex – Energise Africa, a UK impact investment platform backed by UKAid and Virgin Unite to accelerate energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa. It enables everyday people to invest into solar businesses expanding their PAYG operations in Africa.

Lisa is also CEO of Ethex, the positive investment platform helping UK social businesses raise finance to grow and create more impact. Together the platforms have raised close to £75m to date.

Lisa has over 20 years’ experience in energy and environmental markets. Following an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, specialising in energy policy, Lisa worked for a financial exchange and clearing-house, now part of NasdaqOMX, analysing the deregulation of the UK energy markets. She was instrumental in setting up the most advanced market in the world for trading electricity at OMX and went on to hold senior positions with the UK Power Exchange and Amsterdam Power Exchange.

Lisa has also worked for EcoSecurities, one of the largest carbon project developers in the world, as Head of Commercialisation, Europe. EcoSecurities (acquired by JP Morgan) provided carbon finance to renewable energy and energy efficiency projects across the world as part of the UN-approved Clean Development Mechanism.

In addition to her MSc, Lisa has a BSc from RHBNC (University of London) and a Postgraduate diploma in Financial Strategy from Said Business School, University of Oxford.